Metamorphic library chair
attributed to Morgan and Saunders
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1811 - 1815
Materials
Mahogany, cane, leather cushion
Measurements
89 x 56 x 61 cm
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Belton House, Lincolnshire
NT 434806
Summary
A mahogany and cane metamorphic library armchair, attributed to Morgan and Sanders, London circa 1811-15. With a curved panelled top rail and horizontal bar stretcher, scrolled arms and caned seat opening to reveal four baize-lined treads, raised on moulded sabre legs.
Full description
This metamorphic armchair corresponds to a design first published in Ackermann's Repository of Arts, July 1811 (vol. 11 pg. 40, pl. 3) and captioned 'This ingenious piece of furniture is manufactured at Messrs. Morgan and Sanders's, Catherine-St. Strand' (P.Agius, Ackermann's Regency Furniture & Interiors, Marlborough, 1984, p.60, pl.29). The chair was 'considered the best and handsomest article ever yet invented, where two complete pieces of furniture are combined in one - an elegant and truly comfortable armchair and a set of library steps'. Morgan and Sanders are recorded as working from 16-17 Catherine Street, London between 1801-1820. A partnership of Thomas Morgan and Joseph Saunders both former employees for Thomas Butler of 13-14 Catherine Street. See Geoffrey Beard and Christopher Gilbert’s ‘Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, 1660-1840 (London 1986, p. 626)’ ‘Much is known about the business of Morgan & Sanders because of their involvement with Rudolph Ackermann, print seller, art dealer and publisher of the Strand. For his monthly periodical ‘The Repository of Arts’ they supplied a succession of furniture designs, which were published between 1809 and 1815. James Weedon (November 2018)
Provenance
Purchased with a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) from Edward John Peregrine Cust, 7th Baron Brownlow (b.1936) in 1984.
Makers and roles
attributed to Morgan and Saunders, furniture designer and maker
References
Ackermann's Repository of arts July 1811 Plate.3